The first Double Cities Dialogue Forum took place on 2-3 June 2025, hosted by Frankfurt (Oder)-Słubice in cooperation with the European Viadrina University. The aim of the forum was for residents and representatives of European twin cities – including participants from Gorizia-Nova Gorica (Italy-Slovenia) and Esztergom-Štúrovo (Hungary-Slovakia) – to share their experiences on how to live together constructively and cooperate in communities with different social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The forum was attended by civil society organisations, local governments, public administration and political actors, with CESCI represented by Mónika Simon and Dr. Melinda Istenes-Benczi.

Twin towns are special actors in the European dialogue: their residents gain everyday experience in how to deal with the different perspectives, truths and interpretations of reality of those living on the other side of the border. The uniqueness of the forum lay in the fact that it built on these local experiences, while also enabling encounters with new, unknown partners from other twin towns. This created a space where stories about dealing with difference could not only be voiced, but also experienced.

The central motto of the event was “Dealing with difference”. The organisers of the forum started from the fact that dealing with differences can simultaneously represent a challenge, tension or uncertainty, but can also provide an opportunity for creative approaches to social problems, especially in the context of twin towns. In the face of today’s conflicting public discourse and increasingly polarised societies, renewing the culture of dialogue has become an urgent task. The forum aimed to contribute to this by creating a platform where participants could share their experiences and different perspectives in a safe and respectful environment.